I suppose the rain this morning (and all night) is good; however, I had the car washed two days ago. Just back from taking Emily to work for the morning, and I chose not to take the outside steps and get a little too wet.
I did step out to take a picture of the colchium that I mention often. My dad's "air blooming lilies" that actually are fall blooming crocus. These are the progeny of the three bulbs he purchased in 1945, for ten percent of one week's pay. Obviously his children heard the story over and over.
In two sweltering evenings last summer Hamilton dug up more than four hundred bulbs from their two by three foot confine; Emily, Laura and I cleaned off the clay and stored them in one, two, three buckets. It was so hot and the gnats so bad, I believe it was the only night we were testy.
Back on the porch with the camera, there the little guys are. Laura and I planted probably two hundred. We bagged the rest, ten to a bag, and gave them away. I hope all those folks are enjoying their blue haze surprise.
When she was senseless with finding places to dig crocus holes, Laura went down the sidewalk. Next year there may be a crowd, a host--of crocus. Surely by the year after.
The cheeky chickadee. There are several. He may be thinking I should go in out of the rain, and dry off the telephoto lens before I put away the camera.
Or, he doesn't care what I do.
You have flowers that trace their roots back to 1945??? That is amazing. And wonderful. Your gardens are beautiful. Gnats or no gnats (aren't they obnoxious creatures?) Chickadees are my favourite birdies. They're always so feisty and happy.
ReplyDelete10% of one weeks pay is quite a lot for flowers, however it turned out to be quite a good investment!
ReplyDeleteI was also floored by the progeny of the 1945 bulbs. That's terrific! We once had bromeliads that were cutting from DH's mom's plants in N.O. They were very prolific. We had to build a special multi-leveled shelf for them in the winter and take them into the kitchen. After a number of years, we tired of this and let them survive the winter outside. They didn't.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely walk in the rain of your well-loved garden. It was a pleasure.
ReplyDeletethere is an unearthly beauty in a wet garden
ReplyDeleteYour garden is beautiful and your grandchildren are fantastic helpers. We had sunshine all day here. Keeping our fingers crossed for it to stay dry - we're in the process of cutting down a hedge and rebuilding the wall it stood on.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love your garden. I hope to have bulbs of similar longevity. And smile and feel my heart beat a little faster each year when some that were gifts from treasured people now gone resurface. Keeping love and memories alive.
ReplyDelete'Heritage plants' takes on a whole new meaning!
ReplyDeleteJane x
My little Chickadee...
ReplyDeleteI have miniature amaryllis coming up now. Springing up from the earth. No foliage, that comes later.
ReplyDeleteThat was a lot of hard work with all the bulbs, digging them up, planting them, etc., but the fruits of the labor indeed will be and is beautiful!
ReplyDeletebetty
1945 that before I was born, it's nice to know some things are older than me and still going strong
ReplyDeleteMerle......
I was thinking that 10% was a lot out of a week's pay so your father must have loved those little blooms. Wonderful how you have thinned them out, relocated so many & given some away too.
ReplyDeleteLaura's neat row made me smile; my mum once paid a boy who had learnt to garden in a municipal garden while serving as a youth offender.
Mum had hundreds of daffodil bulbs to plant. She would have put them in clumps of three or five; the young man put them in neat rows like he'd been taught.
When they came up like rows of soldiers with yellow caps we smiled.
He had offered to spell out WALES with the planting but as mum wasn't Welsh( but did live in Wales ) she drew the line... at just having lines !
Thank you for this, I love to see a freshly washed garden and yours is particularly bright and beautiful. I'm making plans for bulbs next year, I was too late to buy and plant this year.
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteooohhh lovely - and as Delores pointed out, wet earth has something special about it, as does the foliage dripping with sky nectar. Breathing deeply. YAM xx
Gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos and very interesting write up. Best wishes
ReplyDeleteCool and raining here but will be out in the garden doing the same shortly, nice to spread the wealth as you did.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these nice pics and I am sure the Chickadee cares. Why else one would hang around?
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos! Bulbs proliferate. I have a strip 2 feet by 25 feet, and I must tackle them, by myself!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love your garden! And there's nothing more peaceful or beautiful than a garden in the soft rain . . .
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful to give away bulbs. Your garden is lovely. I kind of supervised while Joe made a daffodil bed. He had to enclose them in wire as moles ate fifty of my bulbs last years. Darn moles.
ReplyDeleteCrocus are such a beautiful harbinger of spring. Oops! You said this was for fall though. I've never had fall crocus before. This was a wonderful project and it's great that you've spread the joy.
ReplyDelete